Automatic Number Identification (ANI) is a system utilized by telephone companies to identify the Directory Number (DN) of a calling subscriber. ANI serves a function similar to Caller ID, but may utilize different underlying technology. It is possible that the Caller ID can be blocked by prefixing a call with *67, for example. ANI was originally developed for telephone company billing purposes and is now offered to commercial customers who may benefit from knowing who is calling them. In addition, ANI is one of the core technologies behind the 911 emergency services.
In commercial applications, a user may have an integrated or extraneous display affixed to a telephone. Such a display presents the ANI or telephone number of the calling party. In addition, the display may present the caller's name or calling name, also known as CNAM. The calling party may call or send a message such as a Short Messaging Service (SMS) to a called or a receiving party. The receiving party may receive a call or a message from the calling party that may not be in a contact list of the receiving party. It may be possible that the calling party may be an unrecognized caller. As such, a need exists to send an alert to an alert party if the calling party information is unavailable or unrecognized in a contact list of the receiving party. In another embodiment, an alert can be sent to the alert party for every call.